Now I know what you’re thinking: “Blake, it’s great you have these beautiful women up on your site, but why the fuck do they have cheese whiz on their hands?” That’s a fair question I suppose, but I’ll answer that in a bit. First, I have to confess that a while back when I wrote up my adventure to Vintage Virginia Wine Festival I always felt like I left something out. The wineries covered are solid spots without question, but there was one “vineyard” that really stuck with me, and I finally got around to sitting down an checking out more of their products. I’m talking about the gang over at Peaks of Otter.

In the middle of a quasi-hoitie toitie local wine event with talk of tannins and mouthfeel and sundresses, a gang of dread lock rocking, punkishly dressed “sommeliers” were pumping up their crowds like it was Mtv’s Spring Break. Our first pass, we spotted them pouring shots of habanero infused wine while making their tasters hoot before giving them a sample of their desert wine to cool their heated palates. I was curious initially, and we laughed at the novelty, but it wasn’t until our 3rd pass that we decided we had see what the fuss was all about.

More girls after the jump..

There’s something refreshingly absurd about that kind of vino anarchy, like what Happy Gilmore was to golf. Don’t get me wrong, VA needs the popular varials and complex blends to become a more respected wine state. God knows they’re still struggling to gain street cred around the country, and with any excellent meal I’ll always have a preference for the traditional varieties, but seeing a few guys do something totally different, completely out of left field, really won brownie points in my book.

Peaks of Otter may not change the world of wine making, but they’re doing something original and accessible for a younger bunch of aspiring wine aficionados. Using ingredients like Chili Peppers, Pomegranates, Apple Truffle(?) and yes, even Habanero Peppers, P.O. is challenging the notion what can be done with a wine. And most impressively, they’re doing this well! The novelty of some of these ingredients would lose their charm quickly except for the fact that the blends are really tasty. Sure the Mango Tango wine isn’t going to pair up well with roast duck , but that’s beside the point. It’s new and creative, and to me, anyone trying to challenge the establishment with a quality product deserves a little attention.

So back to the original story: cheese whiz. The star of the show that day was their Chili Dawg wine, which is insainly/brilliantly paired with good, old fashion, out of a squirt can cheese whiz.

What’s that girls? Lick the cheese like you would salt for a tequila shot?

Oh my, is that you shooting the wine like a shot? What the hell is wrong with you!? Let me try that disgusting..

Oh..

Check out Peaks of Otters’ many bizarre and wonderful products when you get the chance. It’s a great local shop and I’m glad I finally got around to giving them some well deserved attention.

http://www.peaksofotterwinery.com